Match books



C. B. PITTMA N June 2, 1970 MATCH BOOKS Filed March 13, 1969 FIGZ? FIG! INVEN'ITHQ.

CALVIN 8. Pl TTMAN 3,515,264 MATCH BOOKS Calvin B. Pittman, 516 Dewey St., Sandusky, Ohio 44870 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 662,535,

Aug. 22, 1967. This application Mar. 13, 1969, Ser.

Int. Cl. A24c 27/00 US. Cl. 206-29 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The match book comprises a pad of matches and a cover. The cover has two sides each of which has its lower portion secured against the lower portion of one side of the pad, has its upper edge extending slightly beyond the upper ends of the matches, and has a flange extending inward from its upper edge closely above the upper ends of the matches. The flanges have beveled ends, and the two sides of the cover and the flanges are so constructed that the two sides of the cover resiliently hold the edges of the two flanges in abutting relationship to form a V-notch at each end of the flanges.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 662,535, filed Aug. 22, 1967, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The safety with which a match book can be used is determined largely by the ease with which the match book can be closed to protect the matches against accidental ignition. It is desirable that a match book be so easy to close that a careless person or a child is not likely to leave the matches exposed while a match that has been removed from the match book is being struck. If a match book is left open to expose the matches while a match is being struck, there is danger that the matches will become ignited so as to ignite the users clothing, particularly when the person who is holding the flaming match book involuntarily drops it because of the intense heat generated by the flaming matches.

There have been a number of attempts to design a match book in which the cover consists of two separate sides which can be separated at the top in order to remove a match, as illustrated in US. Pats. Nos. 2,217,854 and 2,308,509.

However, the match books so designed have not gone into general use, because the known match books of this type are awkward to open when a match is to be removed. Also a match book constructed as shown in US. Pat. No. 2,308,509 has two flanges at the top which are intended to overlap, but which are likely to become bent so that they interfere with one another and make it diflicult to bring them into overlapping relationship in order to close the match book. The match books disclosed in US. Pats. Nos. 2,217,854 and 2,308,509 can be opened only by awkward manipulation in the manner illustrated in the drawings of those patents, so that an ordinary user in attempting to open those match books is liable to bend the covers to such an extent as to prevent the match books from closing properly.

A specific reason for the awkward manner in which those match books must be opened is that it is diflicult to hold either of those match books open with one hand while removing the match with the other hand. After the two halves of such match book have been separated at the top so as to open the match book, they tend to reclose and thus interfere with the removal of nited States Patent "ice a match. It is possible to hold the two halves of the cover apart with one hand, but while that is being done it is difficult to maintain with that hand a good grip on the match book so as to permit a match to be torn loose with the other hand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The match book of the present invention is of novel construction so as to permit the user to grip the present match book firmly in one hand While making it easy for him to use his other hand to tear off and strike a match without changing his grip on the match book. In the present match book, the cover has two sides, each of which has its lower portion secured against the lower portion of one side of the pad of matches, has its upper edge extending slightly beyond the upper ends of the matches, and has a flange extending inward from its upper ends closely above the upper ends of the matches. Each of the flanges has beveled ends, and the construction of the cover and flanges is such that the two sides of the cover resiliently hold the edges of the two flanges in abutting relationship to form a V-notch at each end of the flanges.

A match book constructed in accordance with the present invention is very convenient to use. It is natural for a right-randed person to grip the match book in his left hand while he removes and strikes a match with his right hand. In removing a match from a match book, a user ordinarily employs his forefinger and thumb to grasp the head of a match at the end of the row of matches in the match book, in order to tear the match from the book. Thus while a user grips the present match book in one hand, it is quite natural for the forefinger of his other hand to enter the V-notch at one end of the flanges as he proceeds to grasp the head of a match at that end of the match book between his forefinger and thumb.

Thus the novel construction of the present match book, in which there is a V-notch at each end of the flanges, and in which the two sides of the cover resiliently hold the edges of the two flanges in abutting relationship, makes is very 'easy to remove and strike a match with one hand while the user holds the match book firmly gripped in the other hand.

In the use of the present match book, it is not necessary to perform a special manipulation of the match book in the manner illustrated in the drawings of US. Pats. Nos. 2,217,854 and 2,308,509 in order to open the covers of the present match book. No such special manipulation is necessary in order to open the covers of the present match book, because the users forefinger and thumb, in grasping the head of a match at one end of the book of matches, automatically enter the V-notch at the end of the flanges so as to spread the flanges apart. Also, while the user is thus: employing the forefinger and thumb of one hand to remove a match, the match book remains gripped in his other hand so that he can strike the match without changing his grip upon the match book.

Because of the ease with which the present match book can be handled in removing a match, a careless or clumsy person or child is not likely to damage the covers of the match book in attempting to remove a match. The covers of the present match book do not need to be folded together in order to close the match book, and there is nothing to interfere with the closing of the present match book because the two sides of the cover of the present match book resiliently hold the edges of the two flanges in abutting relationship, and the covers of the present match book close automatically after a match has been removed.

Since the covers of the present match book are not likely to be damaged by a careless person or a child and will always close automatically, the present match book provides excellent protection against accidental ignition of the matches.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of match book embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the match book.

FIG. 3 is a top elevation of the match book.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The match book illustrated in the drawing includes a pad of matches which is in the usual form and consists of two combs of matches placed close together.

The cover of the match book is made of resilient, stifl paper board, and consists of two sides 11 which normally lie against the two sides of the pad 10, and

which are joined by a fold 12 into which the lower edge of the pad 10 extends.

Each of the sides 11 of the cover has its upper edge extending slightly beyond the upper ends of the matches in the pad 10, and has a flange 13 extending inward from its upper edge closely above the upper ends of the matches.

The two sides 11 of the cover resiliently hold the inner edges of the two flanges 13 in abutting relationship.

Each of the two sides 11 of the cover has its lower end secured against the pad 10, preferably by a wire staple 14 by which the two sides 11 of the cover are stapled to the pad 10'.

Each of the flanges 13 has its ends beveled at 14. With the two flanges 13 in abutting relationship, the bevel ends 14 of the flanges form a V-notch at each end of the flanges.

A striking coating 15 of the usual type is provided in the form of a horizontally extending band, and it is desirable to provide such a coating on the external surfaces of both of the sides 11 of the cover.

OPERATION It has been found that a match book embodying the present invention is much more convenient to use than the top opening match books heretofore known. Before a match can be removed from one of the top-opening match books heretofore known, it is necessary to perform a rather awkward manipulation to separate the covers of such match books in the manner illustrated in the drawings of US. Pats. Nos. 2,217,854 and 2,308,509.

In performing an awkward manipulation to separate the covers of one of the prior match books, it is diificult to hold the match book firmly enough to permit a match to be torn loose from the match book while the covers are being held apart. Then after these awkward manipulations have been completed, it is necessary to take a new grip upon the prior type of top-opening match book in order to permit the striking of the match which has been removed from the match book.

The present match book is much more convenient to use. The user grips the present match book firmly in one hand. Then as he uses his forefinger and thumb on his other hand to grasp the head of a match at the end of the row of matches, his forefinger enters the V-notch at one end of the flanges and thus separates the flanges while the match is being removed. The user then strikes the match without changing his grip on the match book.

I claim:

1. A match book comprising a pad of matches, and a cover having two sides, each of which has its lower portion secured against the lower portion of one side of the pad, wherein the improvement comprises two substantially planar terminal flanges, each of which extends inward from one side of the cover, close to the tip ends of the matches, and has a substantially straight edge which is beveled at each end, the two sides of the cover being made of stiff paper board and resiliently holding the straight edges of the two flanges in abutting relationship, thus normally maintaining the cover tightly closed, and the beveled ends of the flanges forming two shallow V-notches into either of which the user, while maintaining a firm grip with one hand on the opposite edge of the match book, can insert a finger of the other hand to separate the flanges in order to remove and strike a match without changing his grip of the match book.

2. A match book according to claim 1 wherein the cover is made of a single piece of material which is folded around the lower edge of the pad of matches, with the two sides of the cover extending upward from the told, at least one of the sides having on its exterior a striking surface for the matches, and the two sides being stapled to the pad adjacent to their lower ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,754,060 4/1930 Stiriss 20629 XR 2,765,072 10/1956 Will 20629 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner 

